North Wales Economic Forum on brink of extinction after funding cut by Welsh Government

NORTH Wales Economic Forum is on the brink of extinction.

Members met to discuss a way forward for the 16-year-old organisation after its funding was cut by the Welsh Government.

The NWEF brings together giants of the private and public sector to discuss business and works with councils to make key financial decisions.

Among them are the Federation of Small Businesses, CBI Cymru, the Institute of Directors, Wales Cooperative, TAITH and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action.

It was a driver in uniting all six local authorities to form the North Wales Economic Ambition Board earlier this year and is pushing Business Minister Edwina Hart to support firms - notably in the construction industry - as they battle to simplify the procurement process.

At a meeting last week, one attendee described the Forum as a “talking shop”, while others believe the NWEF is of great value to the economy in collaborating business and council officials from across the spectrum.

Chairman Dr Roy Bichan and colleagues will meet with Denbighshire’s leader Hugh Evans - chair of the economic ambition board - in the coming weeks to thrash-out a workable proposal for its future before it shuts up shop in March.

A new group focused just on business had been suggested, which would operate for around £35,000 a year - around half of the cost of running the present Forum.

But some in attendance felt it would be “exactly the same organisation with a different name” and was a pointless move.

Explaining the situation, Dr Bichan said: “The Welsh Government is no longer going to finance support for the Forum - it’s a tragedy. This Forum has brought together local authorities, business groups, further and higher education and social enterprises.

“This is the only place they can all meet and it would be a great shame if the Forum does not succeed.”

He added: “I doubt you could have found any other place in Wales which has discussed and dealt with the themes we have.

“We are proposing a forum with significantly reduced running costs. We have financed projects and in the future we might not be able to do that, but it does not distress me.

“The main benefit is the coming together of these sectors and it would be a shame to lose that.”

“If we are able to agree a way forward with ourselves and the North Wales Economic Ambition Board we could look to put this body together in the New Year and meet in March,” he said.

There were a number of dissenting voices, including Deeside College principal David Jones, who said: “There is a slight danger we end up back where we started and just change the name.

“I’m keen as a college principal to work with the private sector, so we have to make the right decision.”

Richard Thomas, vice chairman of West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, agreed the minor details were not as important as ensuring the Forum has more punch.

He said: “This alternative seems to be ‘North Wales Economic Forum Mark II’. “The future economic development of North Wales is a fundamentally important issue and my view is that over the last two years I’ve found this to be a talking shop, which has its place, but what has the Forum achieved?”

Mr Thomas added: “We need a single voice of North Wales to deal with Cardiff and London, to lobby for this area. This is an opportunity to argue our case and succeed. It’s our duty... we owe it to North Wales.”

North Wales FSB regional development manager, was in agreement.

“I do see an opportunity here to change the way it operates and show more teeth so we can stick up for business in North Wales,” he said.

A spokesman for the Welsh Government responded: “The Business Minister informed the chairs of the Welsh Economic Fora that funding would not be available beyond March 2013. Given the difficult economic circumstances, activities which directly assist businesses will take priority.”

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